Hokkaido Milk Bread (Japanese Bakery Bread)

This pillowy soft Japanese milk bread is extremely fluffy, delicious, and feels like you are eating a cloud!

📝 Ingredients

• 20 g Bread Flour
• 100 g Water
• 290 g Bread flour
• 5 g Instant yeast
• 30 g Granulated sugar
• 6 g Salt
• 130 g Milk
• 5 g Milk powder (warmed)
• 25 g Unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1 large egg (room temperature)
• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp Milk

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1--- Make tangzhong. ---
2. 2Pour water and flour in a small saucepan and whisk until no lumps left. Heat over medium heat while whisking constantly until the mixture thickens into a paste.
3. 3Let cool in a bowl to room temperature. Alternatively, you can refrigerate overnight, and leave at room temperature for 1 hour before using.
4. 4--- Create the Dough. ---
5. 5In a stand mixer with the hook attachment, mix the flour, sugar, yeast, milk powder and salt.
6. 6Add warmed milk, tangzhong, and egg and knead on low until ingredients are combined for 5 minutes.
7. 7Once the dough has formed, add the softened butter. Increase speed and kneed until combined around 5-7 minutes. The dough should be tacky but not sticky.
8. 8--- Proof the Dough. ---
9. 9Shape the dough and place it in a lightly greased bowl. Proof in a warm place for 1-2 hours until doubled.
10. 10--- Shape the Dough. ---
11. 11When the dough has doubled, remove it from the bowl and divide it into three equal portions.
12. 12Shape into balls and cover and rest for 15 minutes.
13. 13On a lightly floured surface, roll out each ball into an oval. Bring the two sides of the oval towards the middle. Turn 90 degrees then roll dough and seal at the seam.
14. 14--- Second Proof Dough ---
15. 15Place the logs seam side down in an 8.5 x 4.5 loaf pan. Next, proof in a warm place for another 30 min.
16. 16--- Bake ---
17. 17Preheat oven to 355 degrees. Brush with egg wash and bake for 30 minutes.